Pastor's Circle - Jim Garlow

Dr. Jim Garlow pastors at Skyline Church in San Diego, CA. He also serves as the chairman of Renewing American Leadership, and is the author of a number of books. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss the implications of the book of Acts on our lives. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

You're doing a sermon series on Acts. How is it going?

It's going great. One of the most exciting books of the bible.

We've been on it for eight weeks, and we've gotten to verse five so far.

What are the key points of Acts?

I'm just taking each phrase at a time. For instance, Theophilus means God-Lover. What does it mean to be a God-lover?

Jesus spent his last days on earth talking about the kingdom of God. What can we learn about the kingdom of God?

What does it mean to be baptized with water? What does it mean to be baptized with the Spirit?

"Is this the time for the kingdom of Israel to rise?" Well, what does the kingdom of Israel have to tell us today?

Acts 1:8 talks about being God's witnesses. What does that mean for us?

The word witness actually comes from a derivative of martyr. In other words, you're willing to be so bold to the point of death.

We tend to think witness means talking. It's not just that. It means you're going to be bold.

We're all called after the Holy Spirit comes upon us to be bold at any cost. It doesn't mean to be belligerent or a Bible-thumper, but to be as bold as Peter and John in front of the Sanhedrin.

What can happen in the local church if we are those witnesses?

It begins to transform that local church. And also, you can expect persecution. And the Gospel will spread.

It happens consistently in the book of Acts. All of the above will occur.

Can the American church handle that kind of pushback?

That is a profound question right there. I would be very concerned. Some are ready and some are not. There is a real separation coming.

I pray that every Christian comes to the point where they fear God more than they fear the world. When that happens, they truly become a witness.

Can there be that kind of courage without the Holy Spirit?

I can't imagine how there would be. It's pretty hard to be like Jesus if you don't have the Holy Spirit.

The disciples were pretty cowardly until they received the Holy Spirit. When that happened to them, that was when they became witnesses.

How do you open yourself up to the Spirit??

Precisely the same way one opens oneself to receive Christ.

When we come to Christ, it's not that God could not give us His Spirit all at once.

It's that we don't have as humans the comprehension of a commitment until we're actually in it.